After Their Parents (Harry Potter Next Generation Fanfiction)
by AllyNemkovich
Summary: We all know the story of Harry Potter and his journey through Hogwarts. But what about his kids? The next generation of Weasleys, Malfoys and everyone else? This story is about the next generation and their struggles through life as they journey through Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

**POV: Lily Luna Potter**

"JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, I WILL END YOU," I screeched at James, chasing him down the hall.

"Only if you can catch me, Lils," he laughed, looking over his shoulder to wink at me. I took that opportunity to put on a sudden burst of speed and launch myself at him. I tackled him to the ground and he landed with a yelp.

"Promise that you won't tell them, and I'll let you go," I demanded him, grabbing onto the front of his shirt to shake him fiercely. He widened his eyes in shock.

"I promise. Now let me go, goodness Lily, you weigh a lot more than you look... I-I-I take it back," he corrected, noticing my anger at his comment, "you're as light as a feather, I swear!"

I hopped off of him with a satisfied grin on my face. Now, I just have to tackle my other brother for telling James. "Where's Al?" I asked sweetly.

James gulped and pointed outside. I noticed a figure whipping passed the window; Albus must be on his broom. I raced down the stairs and out the back door, waving at Mum as I passed her in the kitchen.

"ALBUS SEVERUS!" I called, watching as Al flew in loops on his broom. I had to call his name a few more times before I finally captured his attention.

"Sup, Lils?" He asked after flying over to me. He pushed his windswept, black hair out of his face to look at me. I took slow steps toward to where he hovered a few feet off the ground.

He sent me a questioning look but before he could inquire what I was doing, I jumped forward and knocked him off of his broomstick.

"LILY," he yelled, startled at my tackle.

"How dare you tell James my secret! If you tell anyone else, I will make you regret you were ever born. Do you understand?" My voice was extremely calm and I could tell that Albus knew I was not kidding in the slightest. He nodded, and swallowed audibly.

"You're damn scary sometimes, Lily."

"I know," I replied sweetly. I stood up and brushed away imaginary dirt from my clothes. I cleared my throat, spun on my heel and walked back into our manor. "Mum!" I called. "When are Scorpius and Lyra gonna get here?"

Mum walked out of the kitchen and into the entrance way where I was. Her red hair was tied back and she wore an apron that was covered in flour. "They should be here any minute, dear," she replied kindly. "Where are your brothers?" she asked. I only replied  
with a cheeky smile.

"Probably cowering in a corner," Dad muttered with a laugh as he entered the room. Mom and I laughed along with him. Mom ruffled his hair affectionately, causing me to smile... Until they started kissing in front of me.

I pretended to gag and ran away, screaming "My eyes! They burn!" I sprinted up the stairs and into my room. I sat on my bed and stared out my window at the bright sun. Summer only lasted a few more weeks and my best friend, Lyra, and her brother, Scorpius  
(Albus's best friend) were going to come over to our house and stay with us until Hogwarts started again. Lyra and I are both going into our fifth years; we're both Ravenclaws. Scorpius and Al are going into their sixth year and they're both in Slytherin.

When Al got sorted into Slytherin, Mum and Dad were both so proud... Uncle Ron was a completely different story, but he eventually warmed up to the house. I bounced my leg anxiously as I waited for them to arrive.

After sitting there for several minutes, I pulled out my book and started reading. I only had twelve chapters left, and I was sad because I didn't want it to be over. My Dad always said that I'm "a Ravenclaw through and through" because I constantly have  
my nose stuck in a book. Lyra was a Ravenclaw because she always wanted to know EVERYTHING. From learning, to gossip, to even cooking recipes.

I finished my book with a sad sigh and got up, setting it on my enormous bookcase. My bookcase covered the entire wall, and yet it was overflowing. James says I have a problem, I disagree.

"Oh, Lily," I heard a familiar voice sing from the stairway. I squealed in excitement and raced out of my room. I saw Lyra's familiar white-blond hair and gray eyes. She smiled goofily at me and I'm sure I looked the same way. We ran toward each other  
dramatically, the way couples did in muggle movies. We met in the middle of the hallway and we jumped into each other's arms, landing in a heap on the floor.

We were both laughing and hugging each other so hard we could barely breath. "I missed you so much, Ly," I whispered into her hair.

"Alright Lovebirds, no more PDA," Al said, having just arrived at the top of the stairs with Scorpius.

Ly and I jumped up and went to hug the two boys. I fell into Scor's embrace and sighed as his strong arms hugged me. I inhaled his familiar scent of vanilla, cologne and something that could only be described as just pure Scorpius. We pulled apart  
and he flashed me a smile that made my heart speed up.

All four of us gathered in a circle and eventually, Lyra said, "The gang is back together at last."

"So tell me everything that happened this summer!" Lyra demanded as soon as we were alone. Right away, she demonstrated her Ravenclaw curiosity as if we never parted. We had been hanging out with the boys all night until we finally departed for bed. Of  
course, that was just a way for us to have a heart to heart with our best friends. (Not that either of the boys would ever admit to having a 'heart to heart').

"Not much, I mostly read all summer."

"Okay, Lils, I've known you for five years, you're my best friend, I know when you're hiding something."

I sighed. "Okay, so there was an 'incident' this morning" I used my fingers to make quotations when I said 'incident'.

"Spill," Lyra demanded shortly.

"Well I may have tackled both of my stupid brothers because one of my stupid brothers told my other stupid brother my biggest secret and then that stupid brother was about to tell my parents!"

"Wow, you have very stupid brothers," she joked. "Which secret?"

"My biggest," I repeated.

"The one about how you are hopelessly in love with my stupid brother?"

I nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

**POV: Dominique Weasley**

I awoke to the sting of the bright sun on my eyelids. I brought my hands up to rub my sleepy eyes, and stretched my arms above my head, causing several cracks to resound. I slowly sat up and threw my legs over the side of my bed.

I groaned from being woken so early; the clock read 9:34. I stood up and headed out of my room, taking the stairs two at a time. I ran my hand across the dark-wooded railing and the tan wall. I loved our cottage dearly, sometimes I felt like the sea was  
my only escape. Not only swimming, but just sitting in the sand or jumping on the rocks. With my family, there were few times when you could be alone. The sea was my haven.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, Dom," my little brother, Louis, greeted.

"Mornin' Lou." I smiled affectionately at him and took the seat across from him.

"You're finally awake, Dom! We saved you some breakfast," Mum said, dropping two large pancakes onto my plate.

"Thanks, Mum," I happily dug in right away and sighed in pleasure. Mum's cooking is nothing compared to Grandma's, but she makes a mean pancake.

"We have something to discuss at dinner," Mum informed, looking at Louis and me. Louis sent me a questioning look but I only shrugged in response; I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Okay... Where's Dad?" I asked.

"He and Uncle Percy went to a Quidditch game, but he'll be back before lunch."

After breakfast, I charged up the stairs and into my room. I stripped off my pajamas and pulled on my bathing suit. It was black with gold polka dots and it had a small skirt.

I walked over to my desk, but I stubbed my toe on my chair. "Shit," I swore, holding on to my foot with one hand and the desk with my other to steady myself. I accidentally knocked over a few letters that were on my desk so I bent down to pick them up.

One was from my sister, Vicky; one from my best friend/cousin, Roxanne; one from Frank Longbottom, my boyfriend. No one knew that we were dating besides Roxy because we weren't very serious yet, especially since we're both so young. We were going into  
our fourth year at Hogwarts, all of us in Gryffindor.

I shook out my foot to clear the last of the pain and stood back up. I jogged out of the house and down to the shore of the beach. I inhaled a deep breath of the cool wind, warm sun and salty water.

I walked along the shore to the rocks and sat on top of my favorite rock, dipping my feet into the clear water. There was a small indentation in the rock that fit my bum perfectly. I gathered up my white-blond hair and brought it over to my right shoulder.

I leaned back on my elbows and let the sun bathe my skin. This was my heaven. This was how I got away from the drama and stress of my overwhelming family. I even felt the need to get away from Roxy at times. I loved the girl, and she's my favorite person  
in the world, but sometimes she could be a bit overbearing and hyper.

Roxy loved to fly to release her stress; her and her twin, Fred, were beaters on the Gryffindor team. I, however, couldn't stand flying. I was terrified of heights, but swimming and laying in the sun was my absolute favorite thing to do.

I knew that Lily's favorite thing to do was read; James pranked; Vicky sewed; Fred flew, as did Roxy; Louis slept. All of us have different personalities and hobbies but we fit together as a family perfectly, even though everyone has their own version  
of the Weasley temper.

I took in a deep breath after having laid out in the sun for an hour. I sat up, stood on the rock and stretched out my whole body. I cracked my back, neck and fingers. Then I brought my hands above my head, arms straight, and dove into the water.

The cold water soothed my hot skin and refreshed my senses. I rose above the water and gulped in a large breath of air. I sighed and began to float in the water. It felt so good, so calming that I felt as though I were dreaming.

I began to swim laps back and forth, along the length of the shore line. I allowed the water to wash over me and after about thirty laps back and forth, I stopped as my legs began to tire. I swam up to the sand and laid on my stomach, resting my head  
on my arms and set my feet in the wet sand.

The tide came up my ankles and washed to sand out of my toes. I laid there for an hour, as I had on the rock earlier.

"LUNCH TIME!" Mum called from the back door. I hopped up and brushed off the sand from my bathing suit. I took one last refreshing breath before I headed inside. I made sure to wipe off my wet feet on the rug outside the door.

I heard a crack of Apparition behind me and turned to see Dad walking up the stone path to the door where I was.

"Dad!" I called, giving him a hug when he reached where I was.

"Hello Dom," he replied, hugging me back. "I see you've been tanning."

I looked down to see that my skin had turned a shade darker from me sitting in the sun all morning. "Mum made lunch," I informed him as I opened the door and walked inside to the kitchen.

We sat at the table and Mum greeted Dad with a smile and a kiss. "Bleh," Louis gagged. I ruffled his hair and he smiled at me.

"Okay, I can't wait any longer, can we talk about what you wanted to discuss at dinner now instead?" Louis asked, and I felt bad for not realizing how anxious he actually was about this.

Mum and Dad shared a look and then they both nodded. I took a huge bite of my sandwich and looked at them expectantly. The sat down in the chairs across from Louis and me.

"Well, your mother and I have come to a decision. We decided that, after this year at Hogwarts, you two will be transferring schools." I looked at Dad blankly, not quite understanding what he meant. "Dom will be going to Beauxbatons Academy, and Louis  
will be going to Sort De Vol, so that you two may learn more about your mother's culture."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. "S'il vous plaît maman , Ne me quitte Poudlard . Tous mes amis et la famille sont ici et je ne veux pas aller à Beauxbâtons ! Nous knoe français, nous visitons deux fois par an , pourquoi devons-nous être forcés  
d' aller à l'école là-bas aussi ? Il est injuste , vous ne pouvez pas nous forcer à quitter tout ce que nous savons ! S'il vous plaît maman , ne nous rend pas basculons , s'il vous plaît !" (Please Mom, dont make me leave Hogwarts. All of my friends  
and family are here and I don't want to go to Beauxbatons! We know French, we visit twice a year, why must we be forced to go to school there as well? It's not fair, you can't just force us to leave everything we know! Please Mom, don't make us switch,  
please!) When my emotions get high, I switch to French because that's what Mum and Vicky always did, and after I started doing it, it stuck. I felt tears stinging at the back of my eyes but I pushed them back.

"Sweetheart, you'll thank us for this later. We did the same with Victorie and she loves it!" Mum argued.

"I'm not Victorie!" I shrieked at her, slamming my fist on the table.

I looked over to Louis for support but he just said, "I'm gonna go take a nap." And he walked away from the table.

"Can I stay with Roxy tonight?" I asked, my voice tight and rigid.

Dad nodded solemnly. I marched over to the fireplace in the living room. I grabbed a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the fire place.

"We love you," Mum said, looking at me pleadingly.

"I love you too," I muttered and dropped the handful of Floo powder and whispering Roxy's address. I didn't want them to think I hated them, but I needed time to process this. At least I still had this school year before I had to leave. Vicky changed  
school her fourth year, so I guess it's better that I get one last year with my friends.

I got the queasy fealing that came with Floo travel and a minute later, I landed in Roxy's living room.

Aunt Angelina jumped in surprise, she had been reading on the couch. She smiled when she saw it was me. I walked over to her and she embraced me with a large hug.

"Hey, Aunt Angie," I spoke into her shoulder.

"Hello Dom," she ruffled my hair, "what brings you here, sweetheart?"

"I needed some time away," I answered vaguely.

"Why hello, Dom," Uncle George said, walking into the living room with Fred.  
I hugged both of them and Uncle George informed me, "Roxy's up in her room, dear."

I smiled weakly and ran upstairs and into Roxy's room. Her eyes widened when she saw me but she smiled nonetheless.

A large boom was heard from downstairs and Aunt Angie shouted, "FRED!" While Uncle George proudly yelled, "That's my boy!"

Roxy rolled her eyes and I laughed at the boys' antics. I walked over to sit next to her on her bed and smiled shakily. "What happened, Dom?" She asked worriedly. I finally let the tears fall.

And that's how I ended up crying in Roxy's arms, on her bed, wearing nothing but a bathing suit.


	3. Chapter 3

**POV: Molly Weasley (II)**

"Lucy... Lucy! Wake up," I whispered to my sister whom lay asleep in the bed next to me. She groaned and turned over, her face buried in her pillow. I rolled my eyes and poked her side. She sat up angrily and glared at me.

"What the bloody hell do you want, Molly?" She demanded quietly.

"I'm bored." I smiled at her furious expression.

"It's 2 in the morning and you wake me up because you're bored?" She hissed at me. I nodded.

She scoffed and pulled her blanket over her head. I frowned, walked over to her bed and plopped down next to her.

"Please?" I made my bed puppy dog eyes at her and she gave in.

"Fine, follow me, we'll go find something to cure your boredom."

I happily followed her out the door and into the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" She asked. I shook my head. She went outside and I followed her confusedly. The night air was chilly, but Lucy seemed to have no problem with it. Somehow, she never seemed to  
/get cold.

We sat on a large hill behind our house and she laid down to look at the stars. I copied her movements. We laid there and talked.

"Over there is Orion," Lucy said, pointing out different constellations. It was easy to tell that she was a Ravenclaw. I couldn't remember one of the stars she named.

After a few more minutes of Astronomy, she asked, "What's wrong?" Her voice was soft and concerned.

I sighed, knowing she would eventually realize that the reason I couldn't sleep was boredom. "Lorcan hasn't mailed me at all. All summer!" I complained.

Lorcan and I had recently started dating at the end of last school year. Now, we're going into sixth year.

She grabbed my hand sympathetically. "I'd say he's probably just busy, but I don't believe that," she said bluntly. I always appreciated her honesty. She was never afraid to speak her mind and she hated sugar-coating.

She wrapped her arms around me supportively. "Boys are stupid," she reasoned. A lot of times people think we're twins but I'm actually nine months older than Lucy. And yet, it was mostly the younger sibling comforting me.

"Want me to distract you?" She asked. I replied with a nod. "Well, I heard that Dom is pretty shaken up about something. She hasn't told anyone what about, but I heard Mum on the phone with Uncle George. Apparently she had flooed to their house and broke  
/down in Roxy's room. Poor thing. I wonder what happened," she informed me with a frown.

"You wonder about everything," I joked. I did feel really bad for Dom. She was so strong, whatever it was that made her cry must have really affected her.

"What can I say? 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure,'" she retorted. I snorted; her and Lily had so much house pride you'd think they were in love with Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Better now?" She asked. I took a deep breath of the night air and nodded. However, we did not head back inside. We stayed there and talked for a while longer. Before I knew it, we were both asleep.

"Lucy! Molly!" An anxious voice called. "Oh my, where are they? If they ran away, I'm going to have a heart attack. LUCY! MOLLY!" I recognized the voice as my mother's. I woke Lucy and we both stood up. I had a horrible crick in my neck from sleeping  
/on the ground. We stretched out our backs and raced down the hill.

"Mum! Mum, we're fine, we fell asleep outside," Lucy soothed. Mum jumped a foot in the air at our sudden appearance. She smiled in relief and then ushered us inside.

"When were you two outside?" She questioned. Lucy looked at me and winked.

"I couldn't sleep so we went to look at the stars and accidentally fell asleep," she fibbed. "I'm sorry for giving you a fright, Mum."

Mum shook her head. "It's okay, as long as you two are both alright."

Lucy and I rolled our eyes in unison. We followed Mum back into the house and took seats at the kitchen table. Mum started to cut up some fruit and put it all in a bowl in front of us. I picked through the strawberries, blueberries, grapes and apples,  
/searching for my favorite. Ah, watermelon. Yum!

Suddenly, the fireplace flared up with a harsh green glow and Dad appeared from the flames. His curly red locks were covered in soot, but he flashed us all a bright smile and stepped into the kitchen. He and Mum hugged.

"Hi Dad! Where've you been?" I slid off my stool to give him a hug. Lucy brought him over the bowl of fruit and he picked up a grape, plopped it in his mouth and hugged Lucy as well.

"After the Quidditch game yesterday, I headed to the Ministry," he started.

"And worked all night?" Mum finished with a playful roll of her eyes. Dad nodded sheepishly. Lucy and I shared an unsurprised look. We finished up the fruit and Lucy and I went upstairs and into our room. The funny thing is, we have three spare bedrooms,  
/but Lucy and I prefer to share a room. We arrived in our room and I sat on my bed, not sure what to do.

Right away, Lucy popped open a book and whiled away the hours. I just lay there, staring at the cealing and thought of what could have made Lorcan ignore me. I hated that I was this affected by a boy. That I cared so much what he thought about me. But  
/there was no denying it. I was extremely smitten with the one and only Lorcan Scamander.

I rolled onto my belly and pressed my face into my pillow, as if that would drown out the thoughts. "Don't suffocate yourself," Lucy said emotionlessly, lazily turning her page. I snorted at her 'comforting' words.

Just then, a loud pecking resounded from the window. I pealed my eyelid open a crack to see that a large owl stood, pecking the glass, an envelope in its beak. I sat up with a grunt and stomped over to the window. Lucy chuckled from the other side of  
/the room.

I took the letter from its beak and it immediately took off. As it did, its large wing slapped me in the face and I fell flat on my arse with an "oomph". Lucy, of course, was laughing hysterically and I muttered an eloquent,"shove off."

With a sigh, I trudged over to Lucy's bed and handed her the letter that was addressed to her. She closed her book and raised her eyebrow.

"For me?" She pretended to be honored and I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time today. She opened it and was about to read it aloud when she closed her mouth with a snap. "That miserable toerag!" She exclaimed.

"What?"

"It's from Lorcan!" I stared at her, hurt to my very core.

"Read it," I demanded. She complied.

"Dearest Lucy," Already, it felt like a punch in the gut. "I know we have never been very close, certainly not as close as I am with Molly and you with Lusander. But, I cannot help but think of you all summer. I feel awful that I have not mailed Molly,  
/but it is only because I don't know how to face her when I feel such strong emotions for her lovely sister. Obviously, I would never assume that you reciprocate these feelings for me and I would never expect for you to act on them if you did. I, however,  
/felt the need to let you know of them, for I am desperately in love with you. On a lighter note, I hope you have had a lovely summer. Love, Lorcan S."


	4. Chapter 4

**POV: Rose Weasley**

I continuously tapped my fingers on the table in a bored manner and looked to my parents. They shrugged. I sighed and continued with my rhythm. Finally, loud footsteps were heard pounding down the stairs and Hugo appeared in the kitchen.

"Are you ready to go?" Mum asked him. He nodded breathlessly and I saw Dad smirk from the corner of my eye.

"Then let's go now!" I blew out a puff of air to show my aggravation. Mum smiled and held out her arm for me; I gladly accepted and we were swept up in the sickening feeling of Apparition.

When we landed, Hugo had his hands on his knees and looked slightly green. He hadn't quite gotten used to Apparition yet. I looked around the Burrow; the same self-washing dishes, same family member clock (although this one was ginormous because of our  
amount of family members), same knitting needles sitting on the table. Same Grandma rushing to greet us with hugs. I hugged her back happily.

"Ah, food," Dad sighed before going to sit at the table and digging into Grandma's wonderful cooking. Hugo joined him.

"How's Dom?" Mum whispered to Grandma.

"Better. Angie says that at breakfast she acted like nothing happened and when she asked her about it, she said that she didn't want to talk about it and if we could all not make a big deal of it."

Mum and I frowned but Mum nodded.  
"Of course. She deserves her privacy."

This was one of the things that I loved and hated about our family. They always had your back and always supported you, but they were also always up in your business. It was extremely hard to keep something to yourself. But Dom was especially secretive.  
The only person who seemed to know any of her secrets was Roxy.

I wish I had that relationship with someone. Your best friend who you could see all of the time. Who always knew what you needed. Who you could confide anything in. Not that I had anything to hide, just that I'd like the option of having a main person  
to go to for support. I was a bit of a loner. Everyone knew that I was a rule-follower. I was a prefect, I had perfect attendance, I hated pranking. But does that mean I shouldn't have someone?

"Rosie!" Fingers snapped in front of my face and I turned to see Hugo trying to get my attention. "If you don't eat now, it'll be gone," he said, referring to the food that was already half gone on the table. I quickly sat down and made myself a plate  
of bacon, toast, fruit and some oatmeal.

"Thank you for making breakfast, Grandma." I kissed her on the cheek and she waved away my thanks.

"Anytime dear." She smiled softly at me and I returned it before digging into my food.

"AHHHHHH!" Dad and Hugo screeched in unison. My spoon went flying and I jumped out of my chair. I looked over to see what was causing the commotion: a large spider had landed on the table.

I hastily backed away, accidentally knocking over my chair on the process. I pressed my back against the wall to get as far away as possible. I whimpered and saw Mum shake her head and then she smashed the thing with a shoe... Right on top of my food.

Dad, Hugo and I tried to calm our breathing and Hugo once more, put his hands on his knees. I walked over and rubbed his back. Sometimes, he got really bad panic attacks so I had seen him in this position before. He settled after a few minutes.

"I'm sorry about your food, Rosie. Would you like some more?" Grandma offered. I shook my head.

"I've lost my appetite. But thanks Grandma."

We stayed at Grandma's for a while, after we woke up Grandpa (courtesy of Dad and Hugo's girl-like screeches). I decided to take a walk when we got home. I pulled on my tan jacket and told Mum that I was going for a walk in the woods.

I started on the path that led into the woods behind our house. I often walked in here when I needed to be alone or to clear my head. I listened to the crunch of the leaves under my shoes and the whistling of the wind in my ears. I started to speed walk,  
and soon enough, I was jogging.

I loved the rush of adrenalin that flowed through my veins, the strain my muscles felt when I ran for hours at a time. My jog turned into a fast run.

All of a sudden, I heard a twig snap behind me. I skidded to a stop and whipped my body around to see what caused the noise. I saw nothing but a slight fog through the trees so I pulled out my wand and held it in front of myself. I crept closer to the  
noise.

"Hello?" I continued forward at a slow pace. "Who's there?"

I reached out my hand cautiously. I saw a figure dart away through the fog; I pursued it.

The figure was fast, but my body was faster; all those years of sprinting through the woods definitely payed off. Once I got closer to the figure, I grabbed at its hand. It immediately stopped, but I had too much momentum built up that I crashed into  
it and we landed on the ground.

I stood up and wiped the dirt from my cheek. The figure stood too, and I could see it clearly now without all the fog. It was a young man. He was extremely handsome, though there was something... Different about him.

He had black hair, but upon closer examination, I realized it was an extremely dark brown. His skin was a dark tan and his eyes were an alluring hazel color. I noticed that he was wearing nothing but tight, black pants that left little to the imagination  
(not that I was complaining). His torso and arms were strikingly muscled and toned and it took me an embarrassingly long time to stop staring. When I did, I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks.

I cleared my throat. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He shied away slightly though there was a calculating glint in his eyes. "Who are you?" His voice was as soft as velvet and as rough as bark at the same time.

"I-I'm Rose. Rose Weasley. And you are?"

"Cedar," he replied. He had a magical air about him, but I could tell he wasn't a wizard.

"What are you?" My tone wasn't offensive, it was simply curious.

"I'm not supposed to tell humans."

"I won't tell anyone." Why wouldn't he be able to tell humans what he was? What was he?

He looked around for a while and finally said, "Not here." He took me by the hand, much to my surprise, and guided me over to a secluded area. We sat on a large log and when we sat, he scooted away from me a bit.

"I'm a nymph," he whispered. My eyes widened in shock.

"Nymphs are real?"

"Obviously." He laughed. Merlin's beard! He had a lovely laugh. I caught myself gawking at him again and internally scolded myself.

"What are nymphs, exactly?"

"I... Shouldn't tell you."

I pouted. "I won't tell anyone. You can trust me, I swear." He still looked uneasy. "How about, you tell me about yourself and I'll tell you about me?" It wasn't exactly a fair trade but I really wanted to know.

"Uh, okay. Um, what do you want to know?"

"Where do you live?"

"That's kinda creepy, you know," he joked causing me to blush. "I like in there." He pointed to a large cedar tree.

"You live in a tree?" I was amazed.

He nodded. "Every tree has its own nymph that guards it from harm. Some have multiple." I stared dumbstruck at him. I shook my head to regain my senses (again!).

"Do you have magic?"

He nodded again. "It's a lot different from your type of magic." He showed me his hands, palms up, to demonstrate. Wisps of green and blue energy streamed from his hands. I stared in awe as the magic wrapped around the trees, which made sort of canopy,  
and brought them apart, allowing the sunlight to pour in. The sun was pleasant, not too bright, and it warmed my skin blissfully. Cedar used his magic to produce small floating flowers that glowed a beautiful golden/purple color. The effect could  
only be described as simply magical.

I smiled brightly at him, my astonishment clear in my expression.  
"Wow," I sighed. He winked at me. My heart started beating furiously in my rib cage. I realized that we had both stopped admiring the beautiful scene around us and now stared at each other.

His eyes roamed my body and, for the first time, I didn't feel self conscious at all. I allowed my eyes to do the same to him. We both leaned forward, our noses nearly brushing. The air around us glowed gorgeously and I felt that this was too wonderful  
to be a dream.

But it wasn't a dream, I reminded myself. This was reality and in reality, one does not go around kissing beautiful strangers. Before we could get any closer, I pulled away awkwardly. I realized that I had lost track of the time and my parents would probably  
be wondering where I was.

"Can I meet you again?" I asked. I reasoned that I still had to fulfill my part of the bargain and tell him about myself; but, in all honesty, I desperately wanted to see him again.

"Of course." He didn't seem out off by my rejection at all. He simply smiled at me. Cedar closed his hands which caused the tree boughs to snap back and the beautiful flowers that floated mid-air disappeared.

His gently picked up my hand and brought it to his lips. "Until next time, Rose," he said, kissing my hand like a gentleman, before placing a soft object in my palm. The way he said my name made me melt and before I could reply, he was gone, leaving me  
sitting alone on the log, a single rose pedal sitting on my hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**POV: Teddy Lupin**

I wiped my sweaty hands on the front of my hands and shook them out. I was pacing back and forth in front of Vicky's front door. I rang the doorbell for the third time and after a few more moments of anxious waiting, the door opened.

"Teddy!" She greeted me happily, pulling me in for a hug. "You look nervous, dear. Is everything alright?"

"I'm good, I'm good. It just took you a while to answer." This wasn't the reason why I was so anxious, but I wasn't going to tell her the truth. I was planning to propose tonight, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

I offered her my arm and she took it with a smile. I calmed down in her presence. Once I was sure she wouldn't let go, I apparated. We were sucked through the tube and landed in a dark alley.

"Lovely spot for dinner," Vicky joked. I chuckled and guided her out of the alley. We had to apparate where muggles wouldn't see us. We had to walk a little ways down the street to the restaurant.

I held the door open for her. "Thank you, Teddy." She went through and waited for me in the lobby.

There was a small line in front of us but it went past quick enough. "Table for two, reservation under 'Lupin'?" The woman behind the podium asked after I told her my name. I nodded.

"This place is so fancy, I hope you didn't spend too much money," Vicky whispered to me as we were being led to out table. I waved away her concern.

"You're worth it."

We sat down and I ordered us an expensive champagne. I was almost done with my Auror training and Vicky owned a popular clothing store in Diagon Alley. I wasn't worried about money. The server handed us our menus and then left.

"What looks good to you?" I asked, scanning the menu. I kind of wanted steak.

"Um, you might like their steak," she suggested. I chuckled a bit. We had been together for years, and it still surprised me how well she understood me. "I might get either pork or a salad and soup, what do you think?"

"Salad and soup," I told her. Whenever she tried something new, such as pork, she always hated it. Salad is always her safe order; it's kind of impossible to mess up a salad. I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect tonight, so that meant she had  
to enjoy her food.

Vicky nodded and smiled into her menu. "What?" I asked.

"You look so cute when you're nervous," she giggled and I blushed, accidentally turning my hair red. I shook it back to my normal turquoise color before any muggles noticed. This, of course, made her giggles turn into a full out laugh that warmed my heart.  
She pulled her white-blond hair over to her left shoulder and leaned forward.

"Calm down, Teddy. It's just dinner." She gripped my hand across the table. I took a deep breath and smiled at her. What if she said no? She was my favorite person in the world, she was my best friend and the love of my life. If she said no, I wouldn't  
know how to cope.

I took a long sip of champagne to clear my nerves. "Have you two decided what you would like to eat?" The server asked when she came back. We nodded and told her our orders.

While we waited for the food, we talked and talked and I felt my anxiety bubbling down. However, the night did not go as perfect as I hoped.

Before we got our food, I heard loud heeled footsteps behind me. Vicky's eyes widened and I turned to see who it was. It was Andrea Carson, my ex-girlfriend. Back in Hogwarts, she was a Slytherin and we didn't end on the best terms. Therefore, I wasn't  
too surprised when she spat "Lupin" at me and threw my drink in my face.

I sputtered and tried to wipe the alcohol off my face without getting it in my eyes. She stormed away and I shifted back in my seat. Vicky's mouth was wide open and she stood up, following Andrea out of the restaurant. I got up quickly and followed her.  
She was standing in front of Andrea, and I hand to run up and hold her arms behind her back so that she wouldn't attack Andrea.

Andrea ran away. I let go of Vicky and she spun to face me. "How dare she do that! It's been four fucking years! What a b-" she cut off looking at my amused expression. Vick hardly ever swore but when she did I found it absolutely hilarious for some  
reason.

We stared at each other for a few seconds before we both burst into laughter. I was sure my hair was rapidly changing colors but I couldn't care less. She pulled me by the arm back into the alley we had apparated into. Once we were covered in darkness,  
she pushed me against the wall and kissed my fiercely.

I reacted immediately, running my hands through her hair and spinning us so she was the one against the wall. She put her finger through my belt loops and pulled me closer. We kissed each other hard and passionately. I pulled away, panting.

"What was that for?"

"You look so damn hot when you're wet," she explained. My eyes widened and I looked down to see that my white shirt had become see-through because of the champagne that had been thrown at me. It was also sticking to my abs and I laughed; I hadn't realized  
how wet I was.

I took my wand from my back pocket and used a drying charm. Vicky pouted. "But I was enjoying the view," she complained teasingly.

I sighed. We didn't get to eat, we were interrupted by my crazy ex. This definitely wasn't going perfectly. "I'm hungry."

She laughed. "How about we just go to that McDonald's?" So we did.

She ordered a salad and I ordered a Big Mac. "Do you know what Dom was crying about the other day?" I asked. I know she told everyone that she was fine, but I was still concerned. Vicky nodded.

"But I can't tell you. Dom doesn't want anyone to know."

"Okay."

We talked about random things and somehow ended on the topic of kids. "How many would you want?"

"Three or four," I answered and she smiled radiantly.

"Me too!"

I couldn't put into words how much I loved her. She was so kind and protective and weird and brilliant and talented and beautiful. And so many other things that I could barely wrap my head around. She wasn't perfect, but she was so incredibly amazing  
that I felt like my heart couldn't take the strain of how much love I felt for her.

She was currently rambling about the newest version of the dress line she had made. We finished up the food but we still had some fries left.

"Wanna' go for a walk?" I suggested. She nodded enthusiastically. I payed the bill and we took off. It wasn't too late yet, but the moon was out and it cast a silver glow on her long blond hair.

We shared the fries as we walked. All of a sudden, a large bird swooped down and took the fry in her had, accidentally biting her in the process. The bird flew away quickly and Vicky hissed when her hand started to bleed.

She looked to the sky and cried, "Why me?" She chuckled and sucked on the cut. I gently took her hand and ran my finger over the cut. I sneakily drew my wand and muttered a quick healing spell. The cut closed quickly.

"Thank you," she whispered, smiling softly at me. Her eyes were filled with so much love it made me dizzy. I took both of her hands in mine and kissed her gently on the lips. We walked onto the London Bridge. We were the only ones there. I took a shaky  
breath and she looked at me knowingly.

"Okay, I know something has been bothering you all day. Please just tell me!" She begged. Okay, this was it. You can do this, Teddy. You can do it, I told myself.

I dropped onto one knee in a fluid motion and took the box out of my pocket. I opened the box, showing her the glittering ring.

Then, with the simplest statement, I asked, "Will you marry me?"


End file.
